Barbara Cook - Bell Telephone Hour Appearances 1960-1965

From the Editors

Barbara Cook, one of the great Broadway voices of the 20th century, was fortuitously recorded for television's <I>Bell Telephone Hour</I> in 1960-65, just a few years after her <I>Candide</I> and <I>The Music Man</I>. The picture quality is fuzzy, and the production values have that cheesy look of 1960s variety shows, but it's still a thrill to see the young Cook sing Broadway songs she isn't normally associated with, such as "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair." Of chief interest, of course, is the 1960 <I>Music Man</I> segment in which Cook appears with the original stage show's barbershop quartet, the Buffalo Bills. Again, the minimal staging isn't much to look at, but it's our only chance to see Cook in the role she created that was taken over by Shirley Jones in the movie version. Also appearing are the legendary Alfred Drake (singing "Maxim" and "Blue Eyes," and sharing a duet of "Vienna, City of My Dreams" with Cook, whom we don't normally associate with operetta) and a young Robert Goulet (singing "Lovely" and "The Sweetest Sounds," among others). Watching Barbara Cook on the <I>Bell Telephone Hour</I> is sort of like watching <I>The Judy Garland Show</I>, except with an artist in the spring of her career rather than the autumn. <I>--David Horiuchi</I>
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Customer Response

A young Barbara Cook
I have only known of Barbara for the last ten years and so this dvd was a revelation! How I wish I had been lucky enough to see her then - but still I am glad that the five times I have seen her on stage in London were such treasured experiences. A dvd that is a must for Barbara Cook fans.

Barbara Cook is luminous!
Every home in the US should have at least one copy of this DVD. This is a wonderful view of entertainment from the 1960s which shows the polish and level of talent demanded of performers in the past! Barbara Cook is radiant and sings a quite different variety of songs than are asssociated with her repertoire. I play this DVD daily.

Robert Goulet and Barbara Cook should do a new album of duets every year! And please record more seldom-heard songs!

Barbara Cook - Bell Telephone Hour Appearances 1960-1965
It is wonderful to view Barbara Cook circa 1960 shortly after her run in the Music Man. That first segment may be the best on the show. Most segments are in color. Too bad the DVD is only 53 minutes.

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